Season
- Season 0 1998-12-27
- Season 1 1970-01-01
- Season 2 1970-01-01
- Season 3 1970-01-01
- Season 4 1970-01-01
- Season 5 1970-01-01
- Season 6 1970-01-01
- Season 7 1970-01-01
- Season 8 1970-01-01
- Season 9 1970-01-01
- Season 10 1970-01-01
- Season 11 1970-01-01
- Season 12 1970-01-01
- Season 13 1970-01-01
- Season 14 1970-01-01
- Season 15 1970-01-01
- Season 16 1970-01-01
- Season 17 1970-01-01
- Season 18 1970-01-01
- Season 19 1970-01-01
- Season 20 1970-01-01
- Season 21 1970-01-01
- Season 22 1970-01-01
- Season 23 1970-01-01
- Season 24 1970-01-01
- Season 25 1970-01-01
- Season 26 1991-12-26
- Season 27 1970-01-01
- Season 28 1993-12-26
- Season 29 1970-01-01
- Season 30 1970-01-01
- Season 31 1996-12-26
- Season 32 1970-01-01
- Season 33 1970-01-01
- Season 34 1970-01-01
- Season 35 1970-01-01
- Season 36 1970-01-01
- Season 37 1970-01-01
- Season 38 2003-12-26
- Season 39 2004-12-16
- Season 40 2005-12-25
- Season 41 2006-12-25
- Season 42 2007-12-23
- Season 43 2008-12-28
- Season 44 2009-12-21
- Season 45 2010-12-28
- Season 46 2011-12-27
- Season 47 2012-12-26
- Season 48 2013-12-28
- Season 49 2014-12-29
- Season 50 2015-12-28
- Season 51 2016-12-26
- Season 52 2017-12-26
- Season 53 2018-12-26
- Season 54 2019-12-26
- Season 55 2020-12-28
- Season 56 2021-12-28
- Season 57 2022-12-26
- Season 58 2023-12-26
- Season 59 2024-12-29
Season 59 Episode
- Season 42 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Peak Performance
- Season 42 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Completely Stuffed
- Season 42 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Grilled and Chilled
- Season 42 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Fight, Flight and Fright
- Season 42 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Luck, Genes and Stupidity
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Season 42 Episode 5 Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Luck, Genes and Stupidity
5.10 60 minutes Tonight’s presentation examines the part genetics has to play in our ability to survive. Is everyone’s ability to survive the same? Faced with the same perils, would we all cope just as well? And if not, is it down to luck or relative toughness, or is there such a thing as the will to live?
Dr Montgomery’s main focus tonight is the complex world of genes –what are they and how do they make us different. How much of the way we are is ‘nature’ and how much ‘nurture’? Do our genes influence our chances of survival? Can they protect us from infections, or help us survive them? Can they allow us to run further and faster? Can they even make us feel more or less pain?
In the second half of his lecture, Dr Montgomery talks to some people who have survived in the face of adversity. To what degree do they credit their endurance to training and preparation, toughness, the will to live, genetics or just good, old-fashioned luck?
